table: sons of Jacob, 12 tribes of Israel Part IV - Marching Order of the Tribes Part I - Introductory Facts about the 12 Tribes of Israel Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac begot Jacob. To be an Israelite by blood, a person must be a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob begot 12 sons who are listed herein in subsequent sections. The 12 sons of Jacob are the patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel. For example, Jacob's son Benjamin is the patriarch of the Tribe of Benjamin. Jacob's son Reuben is the patriarch of the Tribe of Reuben. And so forth. Well-known descendants of certain Tribes Tribe of Benjamin - King Saul, Paul the apostle [a.k.a. Saul of Tarsus] Tribe of Levi - Moses, Aaron Tribe of Judah - King David, King Solomon, many other kings; Lord Jesus, the Messiah The Promised Land [Canaan], plus an area on the east side of the Jordan River, was allocated among the 12 Tribes.

[Num 33.54; Num 36.3-9] As the priestly Tribe, Levi was given no land. [Num 18.20, 18.24] Instead of land, God gave Levi the tithes of the people of Israel. Jacob's son Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. By Jacob's command [Gen 48.5], Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were regarded as de facto "Tribes" of Israel. Thus, the land allocations of Joseph and Levi were given instead to Ephraim and Manasseh, preserving *twelve* as the number of tribes.

[Josh 14.3-4] There is no such thing as "10 lost tribes of Israel." [Mt 10.6, Acts 26.7, Jam 1.1, Rev 7.1-8; Ezek 37] Part II Sons of Jacob [Names, Mothers, Birth Verses] Sons of Jacob Meaning of Name Mother Birth Verse 01-Reuben See, a son Leah So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely seen my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." Gen 29.32 02-Simeon Hearing Leah Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. Gen 29.33 03-Levi Joined; attached Leah She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi.

Gen 29.34 04-Judah Yah be praised Leah And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Gen 29.35 05-Dan Judge Bilhah (Rachel's servant) Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. Gen 30.6 06-Naphtali My wrestling Bilhah (Rachel's servant) Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called him Naphtali. Gen 30.6 07-Gad Troop; invader; good fortune Zilpah (Leah's servant) Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. Gen 30.11 08-Asher Happy Zilpah (Leah's servant) Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher.

Gen 30.13 09-Issachar Man of hire Leah Leah said, "God has given me my hire [wages] because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. Gen 30.18 10-Zebulun Dwelling Leah Leah said, "...now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. Gen 30.20b 11-Joseph Increaser Rachel So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." Gen 30.24 12-Benjamin Son of the right hand Rachel As her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-Oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Ben-Jamin.

Gen 35.18 Part III - Prophecies about the 12 Tribes Sons of Jacob Genesis 49.1-27 Moses' Blessings Deuteronomy 33.6-25 01-Reuben Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it -He went up to my couch. Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few. 02-Simeon Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

[Moses makes no mention of Simeon in blessing the tribes of Israel.] 03-Levi Of Levi he said: "Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, Who says of his father and mother, 'I have not seen them'; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again." 04-Judah Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk. And this he said of Judah: "Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies." 05-Dan Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O LORD! And of Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's whelp; He shall leap from Bashan." 06-Naphtali Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.

And of Naphtali he said: "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south." 07-Gad Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last. And of Gad he said: "Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver's portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel." 08-Asher Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties. And of Asher he said: "Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.

Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be." 09-Issachar "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves. And of Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand." 10-Zebulun Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon. 11-Joseph Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.

But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers. And of Joseph he said: "Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.

Let the blessing come 'on the head of Joseph, & on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.' His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh." 12-Benjamin Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.

Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Part IV - Marching Order of the Tribes From Egypt to the Promised Land Military Organization & Marching Order of Israel Numbers Chapter 2 North - last to break camp Dan 62,700 | Asher 41,500 Naphtali 53,400 | Total 157,600 West - 3rd to break camp Ephraim 40,500 | Manasseh 32200 Benjamin 35,400 | Total 108,100 Center - Tabernacle of Meeting Levi unnumbered [Num 2.33] East - 1st to break camp Judah 74,600 | Issachar 54,400 Zebulun 57,400 | Total 186,400 South - 2nd to break camp Reuben 46,500 | Simeon 59,300 Jacob in the Bible Was Father of

 the 12 Tribes of Israel By Jack Zavada Updated August 08, 2016.

Jacob was one of the great patriarchs of the Old Testament, but at times he was also a schemer, liar, and manipulator. God established his covenant with Jacob's grandfather, Abraham . The blessings continued through Jacob's father, Isaac , then to Jacob and his descendants. Jacob's sons became leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel . The younger of twins, Jacob was born holding on to his brother Esau 's heel. His name means "he grasps the heel" or "he deceives." Jacob lived up to his name. He and his mother Rebekah cheated Esau out of his birthright and blessing. Later in Jacob's life, God renamed him Israel, which means "he struggles with God." In fact, Jacob struggled with God his entire life, as many of us do. As he matured in faith , Jacob depended on God more and more. But the turning point for Jacob came after a dramatic, all-night wrestling match with God. In the end, the Lord touched Jacob's hip and he was a broken man, but also a new man. From that day forward, Jacob was called Israel. And for the rest of his life he walked with a limp, demonstrating his dependence on the Lord.

Jacob finally learned to give up control to God. Jacob's story teaches us how an imperfect person can be greatly blessed by God--not because of who he or she is, but because of who God is. Accomplishments of Jacob in the Bible Jacob in the Bible account fathered 12 sons, who became leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. One of them was Joseph, a key figure in the Old Testament. His name is frequently associated with God in the Bible: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob persevered in his love for Rachel. He proved to be a hard worker. Jacob's Strengths Jacob was clever. Sometimes this trait worked for him, and sometimes it backfired on him. He used both his mind and strength to build his wealth and family. Jacob's Weaknesses Sometimes Jacob made his own rules, deceiving others for selfish gain. He did not trust God to work things out. Even though God revealed himself to Jacob in the Bible, Jacob took a long time to become a true servant of the Lord. He favored Joseph over his other sons, leading to jealousy and strife within his family. Life Lessons The sooner we trust God in life, the longer we will benefit from his blessings.

When we fight God, we are in a losing battle. We often worry about missing the will of God for our life, but God works with our mistakes and bad decisions. His plans cannot be upset. Hometown Canaan. References to Jacob in the Bible Jacob's story is found in Genesis chapters 25-37, 42, 45-49. His name is mentioned throughout the Bible in connection with God: "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Occupation Shepherd, prosperous owner of sheep and cattle. Family Tree: Sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali Daughter: Dinah Key Verses Genesis 28:12-15 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." ( NIV ) Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (NIV) Genesis 32:28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome." (NIV) Bible Fun For Kids: The 12 Sons of Jacob vs.

The 12 Tribes of Israel Tuesday, August 28, 2012 The 12 Sons of Jacob vs. The 12 Tribes of Israel This is an easy way to teach the 12 sons of Jacob and how they became the 12 tribes of Israel. Students always understand the changes after this lesson. Sorry, these are older photos of the visuals I created and not good camera quality. Print Tribes poster here I made today's visual using a tri-fold science foam board and clipart from Logos Bible Clips. I found the map free online. I printed everything on cardstock and laminated everything. There are links are at the end of this lesson to download everything but the map. NOTE: Joseph, Levi, & both of Joseph's sons AND their scroll name tags ...ALSO, the 4 title pieces are attached with Velcro to the board. All the rest are attached with sticky dots. (Found in the scrapbook isle.) The extra pieces with the Velcro are saved in a 6x9 brown clasp envelope attached to the back of the board during storage. What you see in blue is what I did using the visual while telling the Bible lesson.

I either pointed to it, or added/subtracted from the visual. Lesson found in Genesis 30 and 32 : (After review...) Today we are going to start with Abraham and then we are going to jump to Jacob and the 12 Tribes of Israel. Download here ﻿ When Abraham was 99 years old, God appeared to him. Even though Abraham didn’t have sons, God told him to “Look toward the heaven and count the stars, if you can and that is how many descendants you will have.” (15:5-6) (Explain descendants) He believed what God told him. He said that Abraham would be 'a father of many nations'. Nations and kings would come from his descendants. And, as God promised, Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac. Isaac married Rebekah and they had twins named Jacob and Esau. We are going to spend most of our time talking about Jacob and his family today because through Abraham to Jacob, Jesus was born. Jacob had 12 sons. Looking at our board, we have Jacob and his 12 sons, from the oldest (Reuben) to the youngest (Benjamin). Let's talk about Joseph.

Jacob liked his 11th son Joseph the most, and he gave him a coat of many colors. You all know about Joseph. His brothers were so jealous that they put him in a pit and when some traders came by, they sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph ended up in Egypt and did what God wanted him to, and he was 2nd in charge after the governor. His brothers went to Egypt and after a time, Joseph told them who he was and Joseph was able to see his father Jacob again. Joseph had 2 sons named Ephraim & Manasseh. (I held up the 2 sons) Let's look at the board again. The title is The 12 Sons of Jacob. That's easy to understand. [Genesis 32:22-31] One night, Jacob wrestled with a man. When it was close to morning, Jacob found out he was actually wrestling with an angel from God and the angel told him that “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel". Now, we are going to change Jacob's name to Israel. (Original text means angel, messenger from God.

This is one of the scriptures that I use to teach the children that angels do not have wings. If the angel had wings, Jacob would have felt them and known who he was wrestling.) Eventually, the Promised land was divided up. Moses and Joshua, doing exactly what God wanted, were the ones that made the final decisions on who received what land. Levi was considered the priesthood and took care of all the religious duties. He took care of the tabernacle and everything inside of it. So, he was not given part of the land. So, we will take him off the board. Joseph was considered a patriarch and that was considered more of an honor, so he was not given part of the land. A patriarch is a man who rules a family, clan, or tribe. We will take him of the board also. Now we have 2 empty places! Also, since each person was given a section of land, and they had their whole groups of families living with them, and they had huge families back then, as a group they were each called a tribe.

So, we will take down 12 Sons, since we know that each of the 12 sons didn't get a part of the land, and we will change it to The 12 Tribes of Israel. We are not finished yet, though, we know there were 12 Tribes. Since Joseph was considered a patriarch now, he was not given a portion of the land, the portions were given to his sons. So, we will add Joseph's 2 sons Ephraim and Manasseh to the board to complete the 12 men. That is how we went from having 12 sons of Jacob to the 12 Tribes of Israel. Genesis 49 GW - Jacob [Israel] Blesses His 12 Sons - Bible Gateway Genesis 49GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) Jacob [Israel] Blesses His 12 Sons 49 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Come here, and let me tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. 2 “Gather around and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the very first son I had, first in majesty and first in power. 4 You will no longer be first because you were out of control like a flood and you climbed into your father’s bed. Then you dishonored it. He climbed up on my couch. 5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords[ a ] are weapons of violence. 6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings. Do not let me join their assembly. In their anger they murdered men. At their whim they crippled cattle. 7 May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce. May their fury be cursed because it’s so cruel. I will divide them among the sons of Jacob and scatter them among the tribes of Israel. 8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 Judah, you are a lion cub. You have come back from the kill, my son. He lies down and rests like a lion. He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him?

10 A scepter will never depart from Judah nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and the people obey him. 11 He will tie his donkey to a grapevine, his colt to the best vine. He will wash his clothes in wine, his garments in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine. His teeth are whiter than milk. 13 “Zebulun will live by the coast. He will have ships by the coast. His border will go as far as Sidon. 14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 15 When he sees that his resting place is good and that the land is pleasant, he will bend his back to the burden and will become a slave laborer. 16 “Dan will hand down decisions[ b ] for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a snake on a road, a viper on a path, that bites a horse’s heels so that its rider falls off backwards. 18 “I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O Lord.

19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will strike back at their heels. 20 “Asher’s food will be rich. He will provide delicacies fit for a king. 21 “Naphtali is a doe set free that has beautiful fawns. 22 “Joseph is a fruitful tree, a fruitful tree by a spring, with branches climbing over a wall. 23 Archers provoked him, Genesis 35:23 The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. Matthew Henry Commentary 35:21-29 What a sore affliction Reuben's sin was, is shown, and Israel heard it. No more is said, but that is enough. Reuben thought that his father would never hear of it; but those that promise themselves secrecy in sin, are generally disappointed. The age and death of Isaac are recorded, though he died not till after Joseph was sold into Egypt. Isaac lived about forty years after he had made his will, chap. 27:2.

We shall not die an hour the sooner, but much the better, for timely setting our hearts and houses in order. Particular notice is taken of the agreement of Esau and Jacob at their father's funeral, to show how God had wonderfully changed Esau's mind. It is awful to behold relations, sometimes for a little of this world's goods, disputing over the graves of their friends, while they are near going to the grave themselves. Twelve Tribes of Israel The Twelve Tribes of Israel by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. In the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), the Israelites are described as descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel in Gen 32:28), the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham .

The phrase "Twelve Tribes of Israel" (or simply "Twelve Tribes") sometimes occurs in the Bible (OT & NT) without any individual names being listed (Gen 49:28; Exod 24:4; 28:21; 39:14; Ezek 47:13; Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30; Acts 26:7; and Rev 21:12; cf. also "Twelve Tribes of the Dispersion" in James 1:1). More frequently, however, the names are explicitly mentioned. The Bible contains two dozen listings of the twelve sons of Jacob and/or tribes of Israel. Some of these are in very brief lists, while others are spread out over several paragraphs or chapters that discuss the distribution of the land or name certain representatives of each tribe, one after another.

Surprisingly, however, each and every listing is slightly different from all the others, either in the order of the names mentioned or even in the specific names used (e.g., the two sons of Joseph are sometimes listed along with or instead of their father; and sometimes one or more names is omitted for various reasons). A few of the texts actually have more than 12 names! Upon closer analysis, one can discover several principles for the ordering and various reasons for the omission or substitution of some of the names, as explained in the notes below the following tables. In some cases, however, the reasons are not so obvious, leaving us to wonder about the many variations. Jacob's twelve sons are first mentioned in the order of their births (to four different mothers) in the Book of Genesis (29:3130:24 & 35:16-20).

For easier analysis, they are distinguished by colored highlighting in the table below: Leah (elder wife): 1) Reuben, 2) Simeon, 3) Levi, 4) Judah; later also 9) Issachar and 10) Zebulun - (shades of red) Bilhah (Rachel's slave): 5) Dan, 6) Naphtali - (light blue) Zilpah (Leah's slave): 7) Gad, 8) Asher - (light green) Rachel (younger wife): 11) Joseph, 12) Benjamin - (shades of yellow) [Manasseh & Ephraim, sons of Joseph, are often listed separately; in some later texts, the half-tribe of Manasseh is further divided into its eastern and western halves.] Gen 2930, 35 omit: Dan Notes on Each Passage: Genesis 29:3130:24 and 35:16-20 - the births of the first eleven sons are mentioned in chronological order, along with the meanings of their names; the last son, Benjamin, is

 born significantly later.

Gen 35:22-26 - briefly lists the names of the 12 sons of Jacob, grouped by their respective mothers: Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah. Gen 46:8-27 - lists the 70 members of Jacob's extended family who went to live in Egypt: Jacob's sons (grouped by their mothers: Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, Bilhah), along with their sons and even a few grandsons; aside from the mothers, only three other women are named (Leah's daughter Dinah, Asher's daughter Serah, and Joseph's Egyptian wife Asenath); the total is 70, "not counting the wives of Jacob's sons" (46:26) Gen 49:1-27 - just before dying, Jacob blesses his twelve sons with various words, in a slightly different order than the previous lists.

Exodus 1:1-5 - a brief list of "the sons of Israel" who migrated to Egypt; the same order as Gen 35:22-26, except that Joseph is mentioned last, because he "was already in Egypt." Numbers 1:5-15 - a brief list of leading men, one from each tribe, who are to assist Moses and Aaron in taking a census of all the Israelites; for the first time, Ephraim and Manasseh are listed separately for the descendants of Joseph; the tribe of Levi is omitted, as explained at the end of the chapter. Num 1:20-46 & 47-54 - the completed census, reporting the number of fighting-age men in each tribe; curiously, Gad is now listed third, but otherwise the order is the same as the previous list; vv. 47-54 explain that the Levites were not to be included in the census, since they have a special responsibility for the Tabernacle.

Num 2:3-29 - the arrangement of the encampment in the desert is prescribed: three on each side (E, S, W, N), with the Levites and the meeting tent in the middle; the four camps are named after Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, with two other tribes associated with each one, respectively. Num 7:1-88 - after the Tabernacle is set up, the leaders of the twelve tribes present offerings, one each on twelve consecutive days, in the same order as listed in 2:3-29, except that the introduction mentions the Levites as the ones receiving the offerings brought by all the other tribes.

Num 10:11-28 - the Israelites break camp in a very orderly fashion, identical to Num 2:3-29 except for the position of the Levites: the camp of Judah (with their 2 associated tribes) goes first, then the Gershon and Merari clans of Levites carry the Tabernacle, then the camp of Reuben; at midpoint, the Kohath clan of Levites carries the sacred objects for the Tabernacle, followed by the camps of Ephraim and Dan. Num 13:4-15 - twelve men, one from each tribe except Levi, are chosen to reconnoiter the land of Canaan; the order is similar to Num 1:5-15, with two minor reversals. Num 26:5-50 - a second census of fighting-age men is reported in the same order as the first census (Num 1:20-46), except for the reversal of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, both of which are still explicitly identified as the descendants of Joseph.

Num 34:19-28 - after the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh are settled on the East side of the Jordan river, one leader from each of the remaining 9-1/2 tribes is to work with Eleazar (priest) and Joshua (new leader after Moses) to apportion among themselves the land of Canaan (West of the Jordan). Deuteronomy 27:12-13 - Moses says that six tribes "shall stand on Mount Gerizim to pronounce blessings over the people," while the other six tribes "shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses"; the list includes both Levi and Joseph, but the order is different than any previous text. Deut 33:1-29 - just before his death, Moses blesses eleven of the tribes of Israel; the order is totally unfamiliar, and curiously Simeon is omitted.

Joshua 1319 - the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes is described in detail, beginning briefly with the 2-1/2 tribes East of the Jordan (Reuben, Gad, and 1/2 of Manasseh), followed by greater detail about the 9-1/2 tribes West of the Jordan. Josh 21:4-8 - each of the tribes of Israel gives several cities to the Levites, in four divisions: the Kohathite descendants of Aaron (from Judah, Simeon & Benjamin); the other Kohathite clans (from Ephraim, Dan & half-Manasseh); the Gershonite clans (from Issachar, Asher, Naphtali & half-Manasseh); the Merarite clans (from Rueben, Gad & Zebulun).

Judges 5:12-22 - six tribes formed the Israelite league fighting against Sisera: Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (probably representing Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali (led by Barak); four tribes are chided for not participating: Reuben, Gilead (Gad), Dan, and Asher; the tribes of Judah and Simeon (more distant), and Levi (priestly) are not mentioned. 1 Chronicles 2:1-2 - a brief list of the 12 sons of Israel; similar to the order of Gen 35:22-26, except that Dan is placed before Joseph (why?). 1 Chr 27 - very long genealogies covering the time span from the patriarchs down to the Babylonian exile; the tribe of Judah is covered first and in greatest detail (ch. 2-3; because of King David and the Chronicler's own Judean context); ch. 4 covers the southern tribes: Judah (again!) & Simeon; ch.

5 the 2-1/2 eastern (Transjordan) tribes; 5:276:66 the various Levite clans; 7:1-40 most of the other northern tribes, but only briefly and omitting Zebulun (why?). 1 Chr 12:24-38 - thousands of soldiers from each tribe assemble at Hebron to swear allegiance to David as the new King; the tribe of Judah is first and the 2-1/2 Transjordan tribes are last, but the rest is in an order different from anything prior (why?) 1 Chr 27:16-22 - a brief list of 13 (!) leaders of the tribes of Israel at the time of King David; Levi and Aaron are curiously listed separately, as are the eastern and western halves of Manasseh, but Gad and Asher are omitted (why?) Ezekiel 48:1-29 - an idealized division of the land among the tribes of a New Israel, with seven tribes in the north, the tribe of Levi administering a sanctuary and sacred city in the middle, and the remaining five tribes in the south.

Ezek 48:30-34 - the new sacred city has twelve gates named after the twelve sons of Jacob, three on each side (N, E, S, W) Revelation 7:5-8 - the only list in the New Testament of the twelve tribes; John hears that 144,000 Israelites have been "sealed" for salvation, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes; this list curiously lists both Manasseh and Joseph (but not Ephraim), and omits Dan (why?). Meanings of the Names: Daily Bible Study - Children Of Jacob Questions? Search all 6,500+ Bible studies on this website. Just type in topic word(s) or a question. Due to extensive use of high-quality maps and illustrations, this educational website is best-viewed with a minimum screen-resolution width of 1280 pixels Children Of Jacob by Wayne Blank The grandson of Abraham , and the son of Isaac , Jacob is a key individual of Bible History . God changed Jacob's name to Israel (see Stairway To Heaven ), and from his sons came the Tribes of Israel - the Israelites.

Jacob had 2 wives, Rachel and Leah (who were sisters, and first-cousins of Jacob), and 2 concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, an apparently common and accepted practice of the day. Rachel and Leah did not object to the other two women because it was their idea to have more children with them (Genesis 30:3,9). Rachel - Jacob's favorite wife. She died while giving birth to Benjamin and is buried at Bethlehem . Her children were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph - 11th-born overall. Definitely his father's favorite son, from his favorite wife, it was Joseph who was sold for slavery into Egypt by his jealous brothers (see Coat Of Many Colors ). There, with God's help, he rose to become the highest official of the Pharaoh , saving the nation from the famine that was prophesied. When the rest of Jacob's family moved to Egypt to escape the famine, it was Joseph who had made their survival possible (they would remain in Egypt 400 years, eventually becoming slaves until the Exodus).

While there, Joseph had 2 sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were themselves made into individual tribes of Israel to bring the number back to 12 - the priestly tribe of Levi was not counted separately, but was absorbed among the other tribes. Ephraim - Younger than Manasseh, he was never the less ranked higher in the family structure (Genesis 48:19). His descendants were to become a great future group of nations. Manasseh - 1st-born of Joseph, he was prophesied to become a great single nation. Benjamin - The youngest of the 12 sons. Rachel died while giving him birth. The apostle Paul (see On The Road To Damascus ), who wrote much of the New Testament, is descended from Benjamin. Leah - It seems that Jacob did not have a great deal of love for her, perhaps because she became his wife by deception (Genesis 29:16-30).

Never the less, Leah is the mother of the greatest number of the Tribes of Israel, and is today buried with Jacob (along with Abraham, Sarah , Isaac and Rebekah) in the high-tension area of The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Her children are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Israel's only recorded daughter, Dinah. Reuben - 1st-born overall. He was disqualified from his position as eldest son when he committed an act of sexual immorality with Jacob's concubine Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). Simeon - 2nd-born overall. Levi - 3rd-born overall. From Levi came the Levites who were dedicated to God's service. As such, they were later not counted as a separate tribe. Moses and Aaron and John The Baptist were descended from Levi. Judah - 4th-born overall. Perhaps the most famous of Jacob's sons, it was from Judah that the Jews are descended. Jesus Christ (see also The Chosen People ), and most Christians in the earliest days of the church, were descended from Judah.

A vital element for understanding Bible Prophecy is that while all Jews are Israelites, not all Israelites are Jews (just the same as all Belgians are Europeans, but not all Europeans are Belgians). There are many millions of people around the world today who are Israelites, but are not Jews. Issachar - 9th-born overall. Zebulun - 10th-born overall. Dinah - Israel's only daughter. Bilhah - Rachel's maid, it was Rachel's idea that Jacob have children with her (Genesis 30:3-6). Her children were Dan and Naphtali. Dan - 5th-born overall. Naphtali - 6th-born overall. Zilpah - Leah's maid, it was Leah's idea that Jacob have children with her (Genesis 30:9). Her children were Gad and Asher. Gad - 7th-born overall. Asher - 8th-born overall. Fact Finder: When he knew that he was dying, did Jacob specifically request that he be taken out from Egypt and buried in the family tomb in Hebron?

Genesis 49:29-33 Reuben, son of Jacob Site map Reuben Reuben was the first child of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the tribe of Reuben. When the Bible lists the names of Jacob's 12 sons, Reuben's is listed first. But Reuben lost the privileges that traditionally were given to first-born sons because he had an affair with Bilhah, who was his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22). Reuben, however, is noted for some good things. He intervened with his brothers to spare Joseph's life in Genesis 37:21-30. He also offered his own sons as surety for Benjamin's safety in Genesis 42:37. The Bible has other details about Reuben and the tribe of Reuben: Reuben followed his father, Jacob, as the family traveled from Padan Aram to Canaan, and then later to Egypt. His descendants took part in Korah's revolt against Moses as described in Numbers 16:1-3.

And the loss of life from that rebellion helps to explain why the population of the Tribe of Reuben dropped from 46,500, to 43,730 during the time between the two censuses that were taken in Numbers 1:21 and Numbers 26:7. In Revelation 7:1-8, the tribe of Reuben is listed among the tribes who are promised the Seal of God for 12,000 of their members. The name Reuben means "see a son." Next person in the Bible: Ruth

Question: In the Bible, who was the oldest of Jacob's twelve sons?
Answer: REUBEN